Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Russian bombers flew undetected across Arctic - AF commander
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060422/46792049.html ^

Posted on 04/22/2006 5:10:10 AM PDT by RusIvan

MOSCOW, April 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military planes flew undetected through the U.S. zone of the Arctic Ocean to Canada during recent military exercises, a senior Air Force commander said Saturday.

The commander of the country's long-range strategic bombers, Lieutenant General Igor Khvorov, said the U.S. Air Force is now investigating why its military was unable to detect the Russian bombers.

"They were unable to detect the planes either with radars or visually," he said.

Khorov said that during the military exercises in April, Tu-160 Blackjack bombers and Tu-95 Bears had successfully carried out four missile launches. Bombing exercises were held using Tu-22 Blinders.

By the end of the year, two more Tu-160s will be commissioned for the long-range strategic bomber fleet, Khorov said.

Both new planes will incorporate numerous upgrades from the initial Soviet models, the commander said. The bombers will be able to launch both cruise missiles and aviation bombs, and communicate via satellite.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: canada; cccp; coldwar2; communism; exercise; kgb; military; norad; northcom; putin; russia; russianmilitary; sovietunion; usaf; ussr
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-104 next last
It is interesting did they really do undetected?
1 posted on 04/22/2006 5:10:13 AM PDT by RusIvan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: RusIvan
U.S. Air Force is now investigating why its military was unable to detect the Russian bombers

Stealth technology?

2 posted on 04/22/2006 5:16:33 AM PDT by A. Pole (Solzhenitsyn:"Live Not By Lies" www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/ arch/solzhenitsyn/livenotbylies.html)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan

I highly doubt that the Russians with their military rusting away and falling apart could send planes undetected towords the USA.


3 posted on 04/22/2006 5:17:12 AM PDT by armydawg1 (" America must win this war..." PVT Martin Treptow, KIA, WW1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: armydawg1

--I highly doubt that the Russians with their military rusting away and falling apart could send planes undetected towords the USA.

Maybe since the cold war ended we've got some rusting of our own.


4 posted on 04/22/2006 5:21:05 AM PDT by bkepley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan
Neither one looks very stealthy:

TU-95

TU-160


5 posted on 04/22/2006 5:21:31 AM PDT by Jaxter ("Vivit Post Funera Virtus")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan
Old time bluster, I'm betting.

How would the Lieutenant General know they weren't detected? 

And that's assuming the planes actually went into the Arctic zone.

6 posted on 04/22/2006 5:21:51 AM PDT by Psycho_Bunny (The MSM is a hate group and we are the object of their disdain.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan

I'd guess that the recently defunct Canadian government sabotaged the NORAD radar systems years ago. They didn't want to participate in any anti-missile systems.


7 posted on 04/22/2006 5:22:16 AM PDT by jimtorr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan
It is interesting did they really do undetected?

Probably. We most likely don't have AWAC planes up there all the time. The old radar net was built to pick up high-flyers.

8 posted on 04/22/2006 5:22:51 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan

This entire article is based upon what the Russian Air Commander has stated, printed on a Russian based site. Dubious information, at best.


9 posted on 04/22/2006 5:25:21 AM PDT by edpc
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jimtorr

We have been tearing the Norad system down for years.


10 posted on 04/22/2006 5:32:31 AM PDT by riverrunner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan
It isn't much of a stretch to say we probably knew the names of the pilots as they stepped to their aircraft. Before they got their engines running, we'd already assessed what type of threat they represented. And by the time they were airborne we'd already settled in to watch their "exercise" with a mixture of amusement and nostalgia about the threat they used to represent.

Of course, it also isn't a stretch to consider the possibility that this Russian exercise never really happened.

11 posted on 04/22/2006 5:33:01 AM PDT by Rokke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rokke
Of course, it also isn't a stretch to consider the possibility that this Russian exercise never really happened.

I'm reminded of the old gunslinger joke. "I'm the fastest draw in the West. Want to see me draw? Want to see it again?"

12 posted on 04/22/2006 5:36:24 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Never question Bruce Dickinson!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan
Say it's true. Why would they tell us?

Only reason I can think of, ad gimmick to sell their wares?

13 posted on 04/22/2006 5:38:47 AM PDT by beckaz (Deport, deport. deport.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole

Bingo! Stealth technology is not that difficult, and may have been retrofitted on older aircraft (a skin of radar absorbent material, diffusion screens over turbine blades, etc.). You'd still get them on radar eventually, they'd just get a whole lot closer, maybe within cruise missile range.


14 posted on 04/22/2006 5:40:26 AM PDT by JimRed ("Hey, hey, Teddy K., how many girls did you drown today?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan

Detected, yes. Gave a crap- no.


15 posted on 04/22/2006 5:42:14 AM PDT by TADSLOS (Right Wing Infidel since 1954)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JimRed

Assuming, that is, that the information is accurate.


16 posted on 04/22/2006 5:42:38 AM PDT by JimRed ("Hey, hey, Teddy K., how many girls did you drown today?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: RusIvan
Message below:

Hide it by turning it white!

This could be the technology the Russians were using!

18 posted on 04/22/2006 5:49:48 AM PDT by Drango (No electrons were harmed in this posting. Several however, were inconvenienced.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RusIvan

DEW line closed...? Thought they were automated...


19 posted on 04/22/2006 5:50:03 AM PDT by dakine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rokke

"Of course, it also isn't a stretch to consider the possibility that this Russian exercise never really happened."

Here's how it goes. Moscow sends orders for an exercise to the military base. The commander sees that his pilots, ground crew and security forces are selling off all the parts and getting drunk. Of course he gets a cut. The commander tells Moscow he can't fly the mission, Moscow shoots him.

New commander sends report back to Moscow that mission was a total success and the Americans never knew we were there.


20 posted on 04/22/2006 6:13:38 AM PDT by driftdiver
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-104 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson